Imprisoned Love
by Emotional-Hikari
Summary: CHAPT 7 FINALLY UP! AU Kudou, Youji is a famous artist imprisoned by the beauty of his art, while Hidaka, Ken is just an average guy seeking a job. When Youji accepts him as his model, Ken makes him see things outside his prison of art... Pls R
1. Chapter 1: Job Seeking

Wai!! I'm doing it again!! (bangs herself with frying pan) My inner fangirlism is yelling 'YoKen fic!!' (sighs) Anyways, first off this is a definite AU (Alternate Universe), and second of, I don't normally like AU's; I don't read, or write them... so why am I writing one? No idea – it just sounded good.

Well, Enjoy another crazy idea from me!!

Warnings: Shounen-ai, OOC (AU, what'cha expect??)

Pairings: Youji x Ken, more later (won't list them yet! XD)

Rating: PG-13

* * *

"... no... too outrageous... too little... too far... Ah! This looks promising!" Ken skimmed through the whole of the ad, after briefing through several others in the paper. As he read over the details, his eyes widened at the pay, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"This is it!! This is exactly what I need!!" He tore out the ad in a neat square, re-reading over the information, before pocketing it safely in his coat pocket. He got up from his chair, grabbing a set of house keys and headed for the front door.

"I'm going to take that job no matter what!!! I'm going to be..."

* * *

"...A model?" The long, dark-haired girl repeated, blinking at Ken sitting across from her. Miles, another friend, questioned the brunet silent; Ken nodded his head. Miles and Amy blinked at him for a moment, before both laughed out loud, covering a hand over their mouths. Ken tried to glare at the two, ending up with a firm pout instead.

"Mou! What's so funny?!" Ken demanded, pounding his hands on the table; Miles managed to control his laughter first, wiping away the tears from his eyes. Amy laughed a little longer, before finally getting herself under control. Ken waited on his friends' answer.

"Gomen ne, Ken-kun, but really – you a model? Where the hell you get an idea like that?" Ken hmpfed, pulling out the tore-out ad he had found not too long ago and placed it on the table. Amy and Miles leaned forward to look at the ad, Amy's eyes beginning to sparkle at who was in need of a model.

"The most fabulous, and greatest – not to mention the cutest artist in Japan is looking for a model!! KYA! Gambate Ken-kun!!" Both Ken and Miles looked nervously at the dark-haired teen, both letting out a sigh as they turned to each other.

"She going through that phase again."

"Tell me about it." Ken replied, resting his head in his hand; Amy sat there holding the ad in her hands, squealing and ranting on and on. Miles cleared his throat, turning back to Ken.

"So – you're going to try to get that job?"

"Of course! You see how much that guy is going to pay!?"

"True, you are short of money right now." Miles added with a slight snicker, a slight blush appearing across Ken's face; the brunet whacked him lightly on the head, saying he shouldn't be open about it. Miles' became rather serious when he turned back to Ken, Amy still ranting in the distance.

"You do know the art Kudou, Youji does, right? All have been models, and every one of them has exceptional beauty."

"They were also female, remember? He's looking for a male model, so it might be different. I may have a chance." Ken assured; Miles only hummed, not liking the idea of Ken being a model for a male artist – it didn't seem to appeal to him. Amy stopped her ranting, grabbing Ken's hands and putting the ad in at the same time.

"Good luck, Ken!! I hope you get the job!!"

"...un, thanks – I think." Ken replied nervously; Amy's smile widened, sitting back in her seat as she let out a dreamy sigh. She continued swooning till Miles took a scope out of her ice cream, snapping her out of her daydream. She yelled at the older blond, only receiving a grin back, saying she be paying more attention. Ken got a good laugh at her expression, watching as she pulled her ice cream away from Miles. After a few minutes, Ken asked to be let out of the booth; Miles slid out, letting Ken out.

"You're going now?"

"Why not? He's open right now, so I want to get there while there's still a chance! Ja mata!" Ken left the café, with Amy yelling good luck to him, while Miles watched him go with worried look. Amy made him sit back down, telling the blond not to worry about the job or about Ken.

"I suppose..."

= _Then why don't I feel comfortable about it?_ =

* * *

Ken sat in the lounge hall, somewhat rigid and very nervous. He was dressed in a white robe, and that **_only_**, along with other men looking for the same position. He recognized most of them as models – some top fashion, others were art models; either way, they were all absolutely gorgeous.

= _K'so! Why did I think I could this?! Maybe Miles was right, this is hopeless._ =

"Hidaka, Ken?" The secretary called out his name, politely chasing out the previous man who was just inspected. The man looked slightly down crescent, meaning he probably didn't approve Kudou, Youji. Ken gulped, standing up to his feet.

"Hai?"

"He will see you next!" The woman motioned for him to follow inside; Ken swallowed his breath, following hesitantly after the white-blond secretary. She closed the door behind them, leading him to another door that she held open for him.

"He's right in there." Once Ken stepped into the room, she closed the door behind him, forcing himself to go forward. Ken stopped in the middle of the room, eyeing the man sitting in an armchair with wide eyes.

"Hidaka, Ken, was it? Pleasure to meet you. You should already know who I am." Ken nodded his head, unable to take his eyes away from the man sitting in front of him.

= _This is... Kudou, Youji?_ =

He had never really seen the man before, and became fascinated by the other man's look. He had long, wavy blond hair passed shoulder length; his face was long and narrow, making him looked older then what he was suppose to be. He had bright, green eyes that had a dangerous glint to them. Though the blond was sitting down, Ken could tell by the long legs that the man was quite tall.

Ken stood still, unsure what to do for the man; Youji placed a hand to his chin, letting out a low hum as he looked over the brunet. A slight smile spread across his face, making Ken's heartbeat increase rapidly; the blond uncrossed his legs, folding his hands over his lap.

"You have a cute face – stripe out of the robe!" He demanded; Ken blinked, staring with wide eyes at the blond.

"Eh?"

"Stripe out of your robe! I need to see what I'm working with." Ken felt a blush appear on his face, his limbs becoming rather heavy all of a sudden. Youji merely stared at him, waiting patiently for the brunet to follow his instruction.

"Don't be shy – I do this with all the entries, even the females. Besides, it's nothing I haven't seen before." Youji explained, crossing his leg back over; Ken swallowed his breath, feeling his heart pounding in his ear. He moved to untied the belt around his waist, slowly pulling the robe off his shoulders.

= _Come on, Ken! You can do this!! I need the money!!_ =

Ken placed his robe and belt on a desk nearby, standing front faced towards the other man. Youji leaned his chin in his hand, slowly looking over the brunet's body. Ken refrained from covering his front with his hands, closing them in fists as he tried to go through with this. He shrank back at the grin that appeared on the blond's face.

"Nice... very nice." Ken turned around at the comment, his blush covering more then half his face. He moved to grab his robe to put back on, tensing when he felt the blond standing right behind him. He felt the other man's hand on his shoulder.

"Your face deceives your body – you have a very impressive body, Hidaka-san."

"I-I-I work out a-a-lot!!" Ken stuttered; he could feel the man's grin widen, the hand on his shoulder moving down his back. He felt the older man grab him gentle from behind, his face literally radiating heat.

"...Firm, but not hard... it's perfect." Youji whispered low in his ear, before pulling away from him. Ken felt his heart was going to pop out of his chest – it was beating hard against his rib cage. Youji pulled his hair back behind his ear.

"Though most of my models are done nude, I don't expose more then necessary. If you're too uncomfortable, you may have a cloth or towel to wrap around you." When the blond mentioned cloth or towel, Ken reached for his robe, hastily putting it on and wrapped it tight around himself, tying it tight. Youji laughed a little, shaking his head.

"Innocent virgin. You're perfect, Hidaka-san." Ken blinked over his shoulder, mouth open in an 'eh' sound. Youji nodded his head, handing an envelope to him.

"You're just what I need for my work. I'll expect you there tomorrow to meet the others on the team."

"Ho-hontou ka??" The blond nodded his head; Ken grabbed the envelope from him, staring at it with great joy. Youji called in his secretary, asking her to show Ken out and to dismiss the others here from the lounge. She nodded, asking Ken to follow her out.

"Everyone the position is taken, the offer is closed. Please leave now!" There were a few questions roused, but she simply repeated what she said, telling them more firmly to change and leave the building. Grumbling, the men left the lounge, heading to pick up their clothing and go. Ken lingered behind, pocketing the envelope tight in his hands.

= _I can't believe! I got it! I actually got the job!!_ =

With a happy mind and heart, Ken went down to get his clothes, making sure not to forget the envelope with the information and directions on where to go tomorrow, before walking out of the building.

* * *

Okay – there's no assassination in this – so basically Weiss or Schwarz don't exist in this fic. Amy and Miles aren't from anywhere, just some random characters I placed as Ken's friends.

Looks like Ken got his job for being a model – just let ppl know Youji will be paying 18,000 yen for each piece the model does. Talk about big bucks. Anyways, thank you for reading and please review!! I've never done an AU before and not sure how this idea will go!! (Onegai!! Puppy-eyes)

Till next time! JA

Emotional-Hikari


	2. Chapter 2: First Day on the Job

WAH!!!!! I don't know when to stop!!!! Sorry minna – I gave you a long chapter 2!!! Sorry about that – well, I managed to update something and I hope to get good results for this one or I might toss it. (I like I did to some other stories already. T-T)

Anyways! Enjoy

Warnings: Shounen-ai/Yaoi

Pairings: Youji x Ken, some other pairings later (won't mention yet! XD)

Rating: PG-13

* * *

Ken quickly brushed his hair one handedly, while talking excitedly on the phone with Miles. Satisfied with the job, he tossed the brush aside, heading for the front door, grabbing his keys and hastily putting on his shoes.

'Matte – so, you got the job?' Miles asked through the phone; Ken winced slightly when Amy started screaming in his ear, meaning she probably took the phone from the older blond.

'You're going to be Kudou-sama's model?? KYA!! You're so lucky!!!' Ken let out a nervous laugh, carefully putting the phone back to his ear. He heard Miles' voice in the back, hearing the struggle between the two.

'Sorry Ken. As you were saying?'

"Got hang up now, Miles. I'm already running late! Tell you more later – ja!" With that, Ken hung up the phone, placing it on the sideboard near his door. He quickly fixed his shoes, rushing out of his apartment to catch a cab.

* * *

Miles listened as the phone clicked off, the dead tone ringing in his ear. He let out a sigh, placing the phone back on the receiver. Amy was squealing and bouncing off the walls over the matter, seeming overly happy that Ken got the modeling job. Miles only stood there, staring at the phone, unsure what to make of this news.

_It's great he got the job – but why does that worry me?_

He placed a hand on his chin, eyebrows furrowing in deep thought.

* * *

Ken bounced through the office, tripping on his own momentum and falling flat on his face. The white-blonde secretary looked over the edge of her desk, pushing her glasses up her nose; she cleared her throat, Ken quickly standing up to his feet.

"Ken-san, you're late! Now get in there with the others!" The woman stated, leaning back in her chair as she continued on with her work on the computer. Ken clapped his hands together, giving a slight bow, before rushing to the door and bursting it open.

"Suimimasen!" Ken froze in place, eyeing three other men inside the room; all three turned to look at him. Ken swallowed his breath, feeling rather nervous all of sudden; he found all three to be absolutely gorgeous. There were two redheads and one raven-head. One redhead was around average height, with the unusual color of light violet eyes; he had a slight scowl on his face, but it only proved to benefit his beauty. The other redhead, more lighter in a red-orange color, rather then red, was slightly taller, with dark blue eyes. Despite his long hair, he was more handsome, the beautiful. The last was a dark-haired man, very tall, definitely foreign, with amber brown eyes, gazing through thin-framed glasses.

Ken quietly closed the door behind him, standing up to his full height. He swallowed his breath, before giving a low bow to the three strangers.

"Ha-hajime mashite! Ano... boku – boku wa Ken desu." The three looked at him rather curiously; Ken stood back up, a slight blush across his nose. The dark-haired man glanced at him, the reflection of the light on his glasses hiding his eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"An errand boy maybe?" The younger of the two redheads asked; Ken got a little annoyed at the comment, but kept his temper under control.

"I'm modeling for Youji-san – just like all of you!!" Two of three hummed, something about them giving the brunet the impression that they did not approve of that. The older redhead waved his hand, a grin spreading across his face.

"Now, now – let's not get picky about who we work with. Besides, I think I see why Kudou-san would chose you, you're rather cute!" Ken's eyes widened a little, his blush deepening a little; the redhead snickered a little, holding his hand out to him.

"Schuldig – pleasure to meet you, Ken."

"..San!! Ken-**san**!" Ken corrected, taking Schuldig's hand in a shake; the older man shrugged his shoulders, releasing the brunet's hand. Schuldig pulled him close, wrapping one arm around the shorter man's shoulder; Ken let out a yelp at the action, trying to pull out of the hold. He pointed to the other redhead.

"You should know who this grump is..."

"Ah – Fujimiya, Ran. Known as one of Tokyo's top fashion models. Hanase!!" Ken complained; Schuldig only tightened his hold, bringing the shorter man closer to him. He pointed over to the raven-head, making sure Ken was facing him.

"You probably won't know him, but that Brad Crawford. He doesn't look it now, but put him in the right clothes, lose the glasses and pose him – perfect image of a cover boy!" Ken barely paid attention, only catching the name; he finally managed to release himself from Schuldig's hold, trying to glare at the taller man. Schuldig only grinned, snickering to himself. The door opened behind them, the white-blonde secretary entering with a clipboard in her.

"Konnichi wa. My name is Kiyomi, and I will be taking care of all your accommodations and reservations." She explained, pushing her glasses further up her nose. Schuldig finally let go of Ken's shoulder, letting the younger man stand up to his full height. The brunet glared at him, only receiving a grin from the older man. Kiyomi turned around, asking the four to follow her to the next room.

"He wants to start immediately, so you will all be paid probably by the end of the day." Ken mentally cheered, thankful that he would get the money today; his previous job had let him off, leaving him unable to pay for his rental, much less food to eat.

_This first 18,000 should hold me till the next painting. _

Ken had a wide smile on his face, as he and the others followed the white-blonde to the next room. The room was an actual studio, occupied with a bunch of furniture and some plants here and there. Kiyomi directed them to a red, velvet couch, one end rising higher then the other, giving it a very high-class look. Dark brown eyes spied the blond sitting on a stool, an easel and canvas set-up already to paint. Youji stared at the blank canvas, having not heard them come in; Kiyomi cleared her throat, the blond turning his head to face her.

"They're ready to go, if you are, Kudou-san."

"Excellent. I'll start with profiles first."

"Ah! Matte, Youji-san! Can you, um – explain what these paintings are going to be for?" Ken asked without thinking, a slight blush appearing across his face; Kiyomi sent a rather nasty glare at him, making the brunet cringe a little. Youji only smiled, standing up from his stool and walked past the white blonde.

"Sumimasen – I do own you a bit of an explanation. You see, this time I'm trying to tell a story with a series of paintings. Obviously the story is about four guys." Ken nodded his head, letting out a noise in understanding; the other three simply nodded their heads. Youji continued on with his explanation, walking towards them.

"I'll have to introduce you all first before I move on to the story – separate pictures are necessary." Youji came right up to Ken, lifting the shorter man's chin up with his hand. Ken tried to step back a little, feeling a deep flush across his face. The older man let him go, a slight grin on his face; he turned to Ran, holding his hand to him.

"Why don't we start with you, Fujimiya-san." The redhead only nodded, taking the hand offered to him. Youji led him to the red couch, seating him in the middle of it. Before Ran could ask what he was suppose to do, Youji kissed him lightly on the mouth, opening the first few buttons on the shirt he was wearing. Ken made a small 'eep' noise, covering his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide. Schuldig let out a hum, a wide smirk spreading across his face.

"I think I'm going to like this job a lot!" Youji pulled his mouth away from Ran's, kissing him on the forehead. He pushed the redhead back against the higher raised arm of the couch, placing one knee on the seat in between Ran's legs. Though he seemed more interested in messing Ran's hair then anything else; Youji pulled away, leaving the redhead slightly out of breath. He made his way back to his stool, sitting down and took a pencil from behind his ear.

"Just stay like that for a couple of minutes, Fujimiya-san." Ran only hummed his response, a slight scowl on his face – Youji didn't seem to mind the scowl. Ken watched as the blond's hand moved across the canvas, light, but clear lines forming Ran's shape. He watched as Youji added in careful detail to the sketch, doing brief outlines of the scenery behind the redhead.

"Alright, I'm done. You can move now Fujimiya-san." Ran relaxed his pose, slumping back against the sofa. He slowly stood up to his feet, buttoning the few buttons back up. Youji stood up to his feet, taking the drawn canvas off the easel and placed a new, blank canvas, handing the sketch to Kiyomi. The older man turned back to them, hand on his chin.

"How about we do you next, Mr. Crawford?" The taller man didn't say anything, following Youji back to the couch. Youji sat him down on the couch, making Crawford lean against the high-raised arm of the couch. The blond slipped his finger under the arc of the raven-head's glasses, carefully pulling them off his face.

Youji took careful hold of the taller man's glasses; he waited till Crawford reached to take his glasses back, before moving to plant a flow-blow kiss on the other man's lips. Ken made a small noise, a bright blush spreading across his face as Crawford responded in a generic motion.

"Oh? Looks like Crawford is used to this..." Schuldig commented raising a fine brow slightly. Youji pulled back from the kiss, the other man only slightly out of breath; he let Crawford take his glasses back, the older man letting one end rest lightly on his lip, while he held the other end. The blond artist grinned, heading back to his stool and easel.

"I like that – you really live up to your reputation." The dark-haired man didn't reply, holding his pose as Youji's hand once again moved across the blank canvas with the pencil. He sketched quickly, slowing down when he started adding careful detail. Ken found himself fascinated by the way the blond's hand move; Youji was wearing a short sleeve shirt, and Ken could see how loose the man's arm was when doing the sketching and outlining; however when the blond started on the tiny details, he saw the same arm tense. Youji's face scrunch a little when he did details, relaxing with outlines – Ken felt his heart beat stop for a moment, turning his face away when he realized where his thoughts were going.

"Alright, I'm done Mr. Crawford." The raven-head let out his breath, relaxing his arm holding his glasses. He put them back on, standing up from the couch and headed back to the group. Ken swallowed his breath, hearing the exchange of canvases. Youji walked towards him, but instead turned to Schuldig, holding his hand out.

"Saving the best for last, ne Kudou-san?" Schuldig stated more as a fact then question; a grin appeared on Youji's face, sparing a glance back at Ken. The brunet didn't noticed. Youji had Schuldig leaning on his arms against the high arm, head tilted a little to the side; the rest of his body was hidden behind the arm rest, as Youji moved his easel and stool to that side and began sketching. After several minutes, Youji let his down, looking past the easel to the redhead.

"I'm done." Schuldig got up with a slight pout, walking back to the group. He came up close behind Ken, whispering low in his ear.

"Well, you're the last one to do... it should be good!" Ken pulled away from the redhead immediately, seeing Youji signal him over to the couch. Ken swallowed his breath, walking over to the red velvet; he watched as the blond artist moved his easel and stool back to the front, placing a new canvas. Youji walked towards him.

"Ano... what do you want to do...!!" Ken was cut short, his eyes going impossibly wide as he felt Youji's mouth on his. Ken froze, not sure what to think of the sudden kiss, or whether or not to react. He had been kissed before, yes – but he received them from all girls, Amy once being one of them; never had he been kissed by a guy before.

Ken tensed when he felt the other man's hand reach down in between his legs, briefly rubbing his thigh. Ken closed his eyes tight at the feeling of Youji's hand on his groin, a deep flush spreading across his face. Youji stroked him lightly through the material of his pants, making him gasp a little into the kiss. Finally, the blond pulled back, walking back to his easel and picked his pencil up and began sketching.

"Just... hold that, Hidaka-san." Ken only responded with pants, trying to regain his breath from the kiss and the slight assault. His eyes were half-closed, his face radiating heat like the last time; Ken had put a finger partially in his mouth, biting down trying to resist the idea of running out of the building and forgetting this whole job.

_Dame!! I need the money! I can't quit just because of something embarrassing!!_

"That is actually nice, Hidaka-san. Keep that hand there!" He heard the blond say, letting out an inward groan – Ken wasn't sure how long he would last if all the paintings had to be set up this way. After several minutes, Youji stopped sketching, putting the pencil back behind his ear and taking the canvas down.

"I'm done now, Hidaka-san." Ken leaned forward from his position, staring down at the floor with a bright blush. Though he had managed to get that small part of his body under control, the memory of what had caused it was not going to go away as easily. Ken got up from the couch, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Thank you all for your time today. I will be expecting you all here again tomorrow around the same time." Crawford and Ran only nodded, both turning to leave through the door. Schuldig looked over to Ken briefly, the brunet walking past him in a hurry; Schuldig reached a hand out to touch him, but Youji spoke up first,

"Hidaka-san – can you stay behind for a bit?" Ken froze, visibly tensing; Schuldig only shrugged his shoulders, walking towards the door. The door closed with a light click; Ken remained where he was standing, waiting for whatever Youji wanted from him.

Youji first quickly folding the easel, putting it aside and placed the forth drawn canvas with the other three. When done, he walked in front of the brunet, getting him to look at him straight in the eyes – brown clashed against dark green.

"Sorry, was today too uncomfortable for you?" Youji asked, a slight concern in his voice; Ken didn't answer, turning his face away as a slight blush appeared. The older man let out a low hum, scratching the back of his head.

"I promise I won't push you too far, but you have to let me know where your boundaries are. I can't respect your limits if you don't let me know!" Ken stayed silent for a long time, before slowly nodded his head. The blond smiled at the response, giving him a slight pat on the shoulder, before walking back into the room.

Ken took in several deep breathes before slowly walking to the door; he spared a quick glance over his shoulder at the tall artist, watching as Youji sat down on his stool, a blank look on his face as he stared into space. Ken looked back ahead of him, closing the door behind him with a light click.

* * *

Like I said – looooonnnnnnggggg chapter!!!! Well, anyways, hope you all enjoyed it!! And if I don't get good results for this, I might junk this story!!! T.T And that would not be happy. T-T Well, thank you all for reading!! Hope you all liked it!! Till next time! JA

Emotional-Hikari


	3. Chapter 3: Nausea

HAHAHA!!! AN UPDATE!!! Sorry everyone, I've been kind of dead lately – between school, college apps and too much of Sims 2, I've been pretty absorbed. But! I'm here now and here's the new chapter!

Enjoy!

Warnings: Shounen-ai/yaoi

Pairings: Youji x Ken, slight Schuldig Ken, and others to be revealed! ;)

* * *

Ken walked slowly to the studio; after yesterday's encounter on the job, he became a bit edgy about the rest of the paintings. He hadn't told Amy or Miles about the kiss – he had a strange feeling Miles would flip, and Amy would have squealed for weeks, knowing she was somewhat of a yaoi fangirl.

Ken let out a sigh, standing near the crosswalk; he looked up at the building across the street, knowing that would be where his work was. He gulped, dreading what would be waiting for him today. The light turned green; the brunet shuffled his feet as he walked to the other side, entering the building.

* * *

"Please wait in the lounge, Kudou-san will be with you all in a few minutes." Kiyomi directed the four men to another room, pointing out a small refreshment stand for their wait; she stopped Ken at the door, before turning out.

"He may have dismissed it yesterday – but don't you **_dare_** call him anything other then Kudou-san!!" Her tone threatened, giving the brunet a rather nasty glare; Ken answered with a nervous smile, nodding his head. Kiyomi approved, walking out of the lounge and shut the door behind her. Ken let out a breath, moving to sit down on the couches across the room. Schuldig seated himself right next to the brunet, receiving a slight glare from the younger man; he had to laugh.

"Don't tell me you're dislike me already? It's only been one day." Ken remained silent, averting his gaze to some other corner of the room. Schuldig grinned, scooting to an uncomfortably close distance to the younger man, reaching an arm around him. Ken let out a yelp of surprise, turning back to have almost bumped noses with the redhead.

"We'll be working a lot together, I suggest you get use to me before this week is over." Ken felt a blush spread across his nose, smelling the fresh mint the older man had most likely eaten. Ken pulled himself away from Schuldig's hold, standing up to his feet and walked to the other side of the room. Schuldig's laugh followed after him. Ken's hands tightened into fists.

_Bastard!!! Damn perverted bastard!!!_

An uneasy silence fell between them, music from the speakers in different corners of the room playing. After a few minutes, Kiyomi came back in, clipboard in hand and summoned them to the studio. Ken gulped, following behind slowly towards the room. Kiyomi opened the door, stepping aside to let them in first; Ken distracted himself by looking around the room, eventually his sight landing on the blond in the middle of the room. Again, Youji was perched on a stool, leaning his chin in his hand, staring at a blank canvas. The blond had an empty look on his face, making it hard to read his thoughts. Ken wasn't sure, but something about the other man seemed false right now, but he couldn't place.

Ken realized he was staring completely at the blond – more then necessary. He turned his head away, a small blush appearing across his nose. Schuldig made a hum sound, looking over to the brunet; he noticed the slight blush, a grin spreading across his face.

"Kudou-san, they are ready for you."

"Hai, I know." Youji seemed to have snapped out of his daze, looking to the four men with a slight grin. He got up from his stool, walking in slow strides towards them.

"This may seem a bit fast, but I need to start pairing up." Ken's eyes widened a little, his jaw dropping a bit at the words 'pairing up'. Youji took note of the expression, letting out a slight snicker; he walked over to Ken, staring him straight in the eyes. Green clashed with brown, as Ken leaned back a little from the sudden closeness.

"Don't worry, it won't be anything uncomfortable – just simple hugs, or holdings." Ken slowly nodded his head, swallowing his breath. Youji's grin widened, turning his back to the group; Ken let out a sigh.

"You will not chose yourself – I will decide on who is coupled with who." The blond added; Schuldig pouted a little at the comment, mumbling slightly to himself. Ran and Crawford were indifferent to the matter, simply letting out a hum. Youji stood observing them for a brief moment before, a smirk crossed his face.

"Though this might seem highly unusually – Fujimiya-san, I putting you with Schuldig. Hidaka-san and Mr. Crawford with go together." Ken blushed slightly, sparing a small glance over to the dark-haired man; Crawford only hummed, nodding his head to the arrangement. Schuldig let out a light curse, a slight pout appearing on his face, but he would deal with the cold redhead.

"Good, with that done, I would like to start now." Youji signaled them further in the studio, which was divided into different parts. He showed to a room that was similar to a bedroom, with a large bed, two side tables and a lamp on one. Ken fell behind in slight horror, feeling a nauseating feeling in his stomach. The blond artist stopped to turn around to explain to the others, noticing the pale look on the young brunet's face. He walked past them towards Ken, standing barely a foot away from him.

"Hidaka-san?" Ken jerked his head up, letting out a small noise of surprise to see the older man standing very close to him. Youji made a quick grab for his wrist to keep Ken for falling back from surprise; Ken felt a deep blush appear, his nausea somehow lessening.

"Will you be okay with this?"

"…I…"

"All you're doing is being held – I won't do anything you are not comfortable with." Youji repeated what had promised the day before; Ken stayed silent for a moment before swallowing his breath and nodding his head. The blond grinned at him, gently caressing his wrist with his thumb to calm the younger man down. Ken felt his blush deepen at the action.

"Fine, let us continue then. Schuldig and Fujimiya-san can go first to give time." Both redheads shrugged their shoulders, heading to seat themselves down on the bed.

"Anything in particular you want us to do?" Schuldig questioned, leaning back on his arms; Ran sat cross-legged on the mat, waiting for the blond's reply. A playful smirk made its way to Youji's mouth, as he set up his canvas and easel.

"This time it's free range… do whatever you like." He answered with the same playful smirk. Before Youji had a chance to retrieve his pencil for sketching, Schuldig laid Ran flat on his back, capture both wrists and pinned most of his body weight on top of the redhead. Ran's eyes widened for a moment as Schuldig's mouth covered his, tongue immediately forcing its way in. The smaller redhead struggled a little, before freezing, before both redheads froze. Youji let out a slight laugh, holding on to his easel so is not to fall off his stool.

"That's a little more than I expected, but I like that…" Youji began to sketch, his movements quick and accurate, so is not to keep the two like that forever. Ken stood absolutely shell shocked, feeling the nauseating he had before – expect ten times worse then before. He felt his knees gave way beneath him, collapsing to the floor. Youji heard the slight thud, but couldn't stop to look; Schuldig briefly opened his eyes staring in the general direction before closing them again.

Crawford moved hesitantly to check on the brunet, seeing the slight fear in the younger man's eyes. He carefully helped Ken to his feet, leading him out of that part of the studio to where he could seat the brunet. Crawford seated Ken on the sofa where they did their first paintings, finding it the closest seat of all.

"I'll get you something to drink – just… never mind." Ken barely paid much attention, slight tears beginning to swell in his eyes. He could feel his bottom lip trembling from the slight nausea in the pit of his stomach.

_K'so… w-why am I so effected by… by this!?_

The image of Schuldig forcefully kissing Ran played in his mind; Ken placed a hand over his mouth to keep him from throwing up. He had nothing in his stomach and he didn't want acid to ruin his mouth. He felt his entire body shaking with illness, trying to keep himself calm.

_I'll never last…_

* * *

Oops – looks like Ken is having some slight trouble (cough, understatement, cough). Well, he doesn't seem to mind too much when Youji touches him, so there's some hope!! ;; Thank you all for reading, I've been yes, I know – taking a break tonight to write instead of playing sims. :P See, I put my readers top of my list, you should all be getting a warm feeling now. (grin) Anyways…

Stay tune till next time! JA

Emotional-Hikari


	4. Chapter 4: Leave, Return, Deal

HA!! An update!! I've gotten so much response it's beginning to scary me!! O.o I can't write an AU better then a storyline, can I???

Anyways, sorry this is late, but I've been kind of down in inspiration lately (all the creativity is going to the sims2. . ), so this is kind of short, but I didn't want to add anymore cause I like where it cuts off…

Enjoy now!

Warnings: Shounen-ai/yaoi (meaning boyxboy relationships), AU, OOC

Pairings: YoujixKen, SchuldigKen (one-sided and just for fun), and others soon to come.

Rating: PG-13

Key: Italics _thoughts_; Italics and Underline _telepathic speaking/other voices_

* * *

Youji walked out to where Crawford had taken Ken out to recover; he found them where they had done the first set of paintings. Ken was leaning forward, face buried in his hands, but he looked a lot better then before. Crawford caught eye with him; Youji gave a slight nod, silently asking the older man for a bit of time. The raven-head nodded, walking away from Ken. The brunet didn't notice.

"…He's still sick – he threw up not too long ago." Crawford whispered as he passed by the blond; Youji nodded his head with a slight hum, making his way to the younger man sitting on the couch. He slipped his hands into his pockets, a sign indicating slight annoyance.

"Hidaka-san?" Ken jerked his head up at the different voice, letting out a slight groan at the dizziness he felt from that action. Youji placed a firm, gentle hand on the other man's head, giving brown hair a slight ruffle. Ken felt a slight blush appear on his face, gently jerking his head away from the touch. Youji took his hand back, a bit surprised by the negative reaction; the two remained in silence.

"...I – I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accepted..." Ken sputtered an apology, avoiding eye contact with the older man.

"No, I should have told what I planned before I offered you the position. I didn't realize how bad this was for you." Ken risked looking up at the artist; deep green eyes stared down at him with blank emotions. Ken turned his head to the side, some part of him feeling he had let the blond down. Youji let out sigh, walking away from him for a couple of minutes, before coming back with a piece of paper. He held it out in front of Ken's face, the younger man blinking at the paper.

"I'm sorry this had to be a bad experience for you – I'm letting you off." Ken stared at the paper for the longest time; he let out a sigh before taking the paper from the blond's hand.

"Gomen nasai..." Youji didn't answer; he walked away, back to the other room where the others were waiting. He made a note to post a new ad to fill in Ken's position. Ken stared at the paper in his hand, before slowly rising to his feet; he glanced behind him, seeing Youji's retreating back. He couldn't help but feel he let some part of this project go to waste – it couldn't be helped. He pocketed the paper safely into his back pocket, slowly walking over to the exit of the studio.

* * *

Youji sat on his stool, staring at the painted canvas in front of him; it was only half done, the bottom half still in the pencil sketch. He had told the other models that work would be suspended till he could find someone to replace Hidaka, Ken. Neither Crawford or Ran seemed very pleased about it; Schuldig seemed more upset that Ken was gone, rather then the suspension. He asked Kiyomi to run a new ad immediately for the newspaper.

Youji continued to stare at the painting – it was Ken's portrait from the first time they all came together and met. The man had a good profile, and probably could have passed for a model with a bit of training. Youji blinked as his thoughts began to concentrate on the brunet; he let out a hum, studying more on the face of the painting. He had seemed fine when Youji roughed him a little for the pose, a little shaken, but fine; he didn't understand where the sudden phobia came from.

_But he is a cute one, isn't he?_

"...perhaps... but what does this have to do with anything?" Youji questioned, his body beginning to feel a bit weak and his vision beginning to blur.

_He's nothing of exception compared to the other three you choose for this._

"...true, but this is not related to anything."

_More so then you think... Remember, I live inside of you, I see what you fail to see, I feel what you fail to feel..._

Youji remained silent, the painting in front of him disappeared, the faint figure of a woman with long, night black hair, in a long robed-dress, sitting on an identical stool, appeared in front of him. She looked at him with a smirk, a knowing look that Youji has been afraid of since they met.

_You remember our contract, right?_

"I remember... but what does Hidaka-san have anything to do with this?" Youji asked; her smirk only widened, sending a slight shiver down the core of his spine.

_You will see in due time – you will call him back, despite all odds._

Youji blinked at her words, but she disappeared before he could question what she meant, leaving him staring at the half painting of Ken.

* * *

Ken let out a sigh; he sat at his small desk with help-want ads and newspapers stacked around him. After he explained to Amy and Miles that he had been let off, for reasons unknown for them, they did everything to help him find another job. He had no success so far.

Ken lightly knocked his forehead on the desk, letting out a light curse for his dense mind. He had been so happy to have that modeling job, he had no idea what he was in for; he hadn't realized the story would be four guys who were lovers in one way or another. He let his head rest on the desk, letting out a frustrated sigh.

_This is hopeless..._

He stayed like that for several minutes before sitting back up right and began searching again. He picked up a newspaper from the pile randomly, searching through the want ads; he paused, staring at one of the articles. It was nearly the same article he had chosen not too long ago, before realizing it wasn't his kind of job.

_Guess he's on a tight schedule. He's already looking for a replacement._

Ken read over the ad again and again, always ending with the address of Kudou, Youji's studio. He felt a bit guilty for reacting the way he did and not explaining about it. He began to wonder how long it would be before the position was filled up again; his mind wondered back to when he first applied for the job and the very session he had done.

Brown eyes widened in shock, as the memory of being kissed by Youji came into his mind. Ken let out a groan, burying his face into his hands; he felt glad he had eaten lunch before hand. The memory refused to go away, no matter how hard he tried to lock it back up; strangely, he didn't feel sick or nauseating. He felt – embarrassed? Ken opened his eyes, staring through his fingers at the wall.

It surprised him a little that he wasn't feeling nausea at the memory – in fact, he wasn't feeling sick at all. He couldn't understand, but when the older man touched, comfort him when he panicked, it felt – better. Ken shook his head clear, going back to concentrating on finding a new job.

* * *

Youji buried his face into his hands, just dismissing the last model; he asked Kiyomi to dismiss the remaining ones in the lounge. He was not in the mood to see anymore. After a few minutes passed, the white-blond secretary entered the room, her face clear of emotions.

"You can't call him back – you know that."

"Hai, hai… but I can't find anyone else suitable!" Youji removed his hands, staring up at the white-blond with an equally emotionless face. Kiyomi stared eye to eye with him for several minutes, before letting out a sigh; she walked closer to him, holding out a piece of paper. The blond artist blinked at the folded paper.

"If you will not change your mind, then there is nothing that can be done." She dropped it on his lap when he didn't take it, leaving the room and back to her desk to finish up her work. Youji stared at the woman as she left, looking down at the paper on his lap; he picked it up, unfolding it and looked through the contents. He let out a desperate sigh, a slight negative laugh escaping him; the paper contained an address and phone number.

_Kiyomi, you bitch!_

Youji shook his head, looking back at the piece of paper, staring at the name written at the top. He folded it back up, standing up to his feet and walked over to a desk nearby, placing the paper on the surface. He pressed a call button on the desk.

"Kiyomi, please note this details and send them off for me."

"As you wish, Kudou-san."

* * *

Ah! So whose address and phone is that? And that weird woman Youji is seeing? (She is in his mind, by the way – later explanation of her) And more questions that you probably have… all shall be answered (well, the first one at least) in the next chapter – if not later! Hope you all enjoyed this chapt and I'll try to get more stuff up as soon as possible!

Thank you for reading! Ja ne!

Emotional-Hikari


	5. Chapter 5: Day in the Park

W00T! I'm on a roll – updated two stories in one day; course for this one, I've probably lost a majority of the fans waiting on this fic O.o Ah well…

Yo, minna! Been forever since I last updated this fic – but don't worry – I think it should be more frequent now. I'm beginning to grasp a more basic plot now, and I think I know where it's going now.

And, without further to do…

Warnings: Shounen-ai/yaoi

Pairings: Youji + Ken, one-sided Schuldig + Ken

Rating: T (PG-13)

Key: italics _thoughts_; underline/italics _telepathy/voice talking_

* * *

Ken sat outside the office on the sofa provided there; he tapped his foot constantly against the floor, nervousness flowing throughout his whole body. He had received a letter a few days ago in the mail – it had been from this office. Though the letter had asked for an immediate reply, it took Ken severally days after to make his decision, which puts him in his current position now. The brunet repeated in his head over and over again of what he would say; he had prepared for two days straight, and he wasn't willing to make another mistake again.

The door eased open, Kiyomi holding the door open as Youji stepped into the room; Ken gulped, it slowly dawning on him that this is the first time he's seen the blond outside of his studio. Youji dismissed the white-blond secretary, Kiyomi giving a slight bow before leaving the office back inside. Ken turned his face away, not wanting to face the artist after the rather embarrassing lay off; Youji faced the wall, the two remaining in completely silence. Finally, Youji spoke.

"I know this seems very sudden, but… I want you back on the job." Ken slowly turned his head back to face the blond, curiosity shone in his eyes. Youji kept staring at the floor to the left of him.

"I don't know – if I can…"

"You didn't seem too uncomfortable the first time – what happened?" Youji asked, slowly turning his gaze to face the younger man. Ken buried a hand in his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"I – I don't know, it's just that…it's nauseating to see – to do…"

"I understand." Youji interrupted, making Ken blink at him in slight shock. The taller man reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He held it out in front of the brunet for him to take. Ken stared at the paper in the blond's hand, before glancing into bright green eyes. He wasn't sure what he was looking for – an answer, a calling, a reason – but whatever it was, he never found it. Ken took the paper from the other man's hand, staring blankly at the sheet for the longest while before getting up to his feet and walked out of the office.

Youji watched as the brunet left with the paper – it was a schedule of what his works would consist of for the next three months. Although he knew that the brunet would most likely not take the offer again, a small part of him hoped that the younger man would come back. Why, he didn't understand.

_I would not worry about his return._

"…Excuse me?"

_He will return, you need not worry about that._

"How do you know?" Youji felt a chill fall down the spine of his back, as a slender hand found its way around his throat. She caressed the skin warmly, but all he felt were the icy winds of her presence.

_I see more then you give me credit for – he will return, and I will take him!_

The chill disappeared as suddenly as it had come, Youji's initial reaction to the chill by huddling himself close. He glanced around the room, seeing her no where in sight. Once he felt at a comfortable temperature again, he composed himself before walking back into his studio.

_You can't take what I don't love!_

Youji determined for himself; Ken was a nice man with a good heart – he didn't deserve to lose that heart. The blond dismissed Kiyomi for the rest of the day, surprising the secretary a little; after she left, he pulled his stool out from the corner, seating himself down and stared at the wall in front of him, letting his mind go blank.

* * *

Youji waited for the models to come for today's session; as expected, they were late – all three of them. He let out a sigh, looking down at his watch. He had chosen to do the next set of paintings in Kyoto, in a small park that was meant to preserve everything historically cultural in this prefecture. He knew they were going to be late, since two were fairly far away from Kyoto prefecture, and one was a late riser. Youji looked down at his watch again, tapping his finger on the side of the metal band; he was growing impatient. 

"Kudou-san." Kiyomi called his name, pointing towards the entrance of the park; Youji looked in that direction. He didn't see Crawford, Ran or Schuldig – in fact, it was the last person he would have ever expected to see right here, for this session.

"I'm not late, am I?" Ken asked, once he was in hearing range of the two; Youji shook his head, saying the others have yet to arrive. The brunet nodded, the three of them waiting for the others to arrive. They didn't wait too much longer, as five minutes passed by before all three showed up at the same time.

"Did you have to pick so far away? And so early?" Schuldig yawned, stretching his arms over his head; Youji didn't answer. Ran and Crawford remained silent.

"Then let's start – we are behind schedule as it is." Youji signaled them to follow him deeper into the park, walking ahead of them in a fast pace. Ken tried to fall behind, dreading what may be facing him ahead; he felt an arm circle him around the shoulder, pulling him close to a warm body.

"Aww. I knew you cared for me!" Schuldig attempted to give Ken a light peck on the cheek, but the younger man slipped out of his grip, his body visibly shaking from the contact.

"I don't! I need the money to keep my apartment and this is the only job that pays well!" Ken stated, storming ahead of the redhead, trying to keep distance between them. Schuldig pouted, before it turned into a grin as he followed along with the group.

Youji led them to the middle of the park, a two person bench that looked like it hadn't been used or tended to for a few years now. He stopped them here, helping Kiyomi set up his paint and easel for the shots, taking the canvas from her hands to place on the stand. Ran had taken a seat on the bench, hesitant of the sturdiness of the old bench; Schuldig simply seated himself on the back of the bench, feet resting on the seat of the bench next to him. The younger redhead glared at him.

"Do you have to sit like that!"

"Touché – I can sit however I damn like!" Flashing a smirk at Ran; violet eyes narrowed to impossible size, turning his attention to the artist, awaiting his instructions. Once Youji finished setting up his work space, he turned to the two models.

"This series is a little more tone down then last time. I'm focusing more on the coupling side of the relationships."

"So – how do want us to pose?" Ran asked, grimacing at the creaking noise the bench made when Schuldig leaned forward on his knees. The blond artist thought deeply about the question, picking up his pencil from the case on the ground.

"Cuddle, hold each other – what do normal couples do?" Schuldig's grin widened, getting off the bench and stood behind Ran. He wrapped his arms tenderly around the shorter man, resting his chin on his shoulder. Ran tried to move his head away, but the older man only cuddled closer. Youji snickered at the icy redhead's reaction to intimate touch.

"I promise I won't take long, Fujimiya-san." Ran only hummed, for now dealing with the close contact with the other man. Youji worked his hand across the canvas, drawing the basic sketch to be painted in later. A few people passing by stopped occasionally to watch the project, while others simply turned their heads and walked on.

Ken gulped as the sketch was near completion; he quickly glanced at Crawford standing aside of him. The taller man had an unreadable expression on his face, but there was a hint of something – some emotion Ken couldn't quite place – hidden behind the glasses.

Youji placed his pencil down on the dish of the easel, carefully removing the canvas to give to Kiyomi. The white-blond carefully placed the sketch into a protective cover for later travel back to Tokyo.

"I'm done now." No sooner had the artist said that that Ran immediately removed himself from Schuldig's grasp, standing up from the bench to move far away from the other redhead. This made the older redhead snicker, walking over to Ken. The brunet cringed at what Schuldig might say to him, but was relieved when Youji stepped in front of him.

"I believe it is your turn – Hidaka-san, Mr. Crawford." Ken swallowed hard, sparing a glance to the man next to him; Crawford stared at him briefly from the corner of his eye, before looking back to blond, nodding his head. Ken hesitated with his answer, feeling his nausea beginning churn in his stomach.

"Hidaka-san?"

"Ah!" Ken looked up, coming face to face with Youji; he leaned back a little, a slight blush forming across his face at the closeness of the other man. The older man leaned to whisper in his ear.

"Try to relax – try thinking of something else, rather then what is happening now." Youji suggested; the brunet nodded wordlessly, unable to shake the slight flush from his face. The artist walked back to his easel, noting the slightly peeved expression on Schuldig's face. Youji offered him nothing more then a smug grin, knowing his actions received a more positive reaction then Schuldig's did.

_Okay – relaxing… think peaceful images… oh god!_

Ken thought to himself, trying to block out his surroundings with other thoughts as he seated himself on the old bench next to the raven-head. He jumped slightly when the older man whispered in his ear.

"Just pretend I'm someone else – a close friend, or even an old girlfriend – I don't mind." Ken gazed at Crawford; though the man showed no expression, his voice was surprisingly soft and gentle. Ken nodded hesitantly, trying to think of someone in place of Crawford. He felt the raven-head take his arm and put it through his, making Ken lean his head against his shoulder. It took every nerve in his body to try not to shudder at the close contact.

"I will try to do this quickly, Hidaka-san. Please try to relax – it's not helping the mood." Ken listened to Youji's voice; for an odd reason, his mind put the tall blond next to him, instead of Crawford. Instead of looping arms with the man next to him, he was linked with the artist standing in front of them; Instead of leaning against a rather broad, firm shoulder, a rather slim, almost bony shoulder.

Ken let his eyes fall shut, relaxing his head against Crawford shoulder, surprising the older man slightly.

"Keep that surprise look, Mr. Crawford – I like it like that." Crawford didn't move, keeping a relatively surprised face as Youji drew their faces on the canvas. Ken wasn't sure why he pictured the tall blond next to him, in place of someone else, but he felt unusually comfortable with the man – despite all other things.

"Alright – I'm done." Ken snapped out of his daydream at the sound of the blond's voice, pulling his arm out of Crawford's, a deep flush on his face. The taller man offered him a small smile, shaking his head. Ken placed a hand over his mouth, trying to suppress his nausea.

"We are done for today. Tomorrow I expect you all back at the studio for further details of the upcoming schedule." The other three nodded their heads, Ran and Schuldig taking a head start to the metro to head back to their hotels. Crawford stood up to his feet, brushing out the wrinkles in his pants and walked on. Youji approached Ken, holding a hand out to him.

"Are you alright?" Ken swallowed the lump in his throat, his flush dying down. He looked up at the older man, giving him a nervous smile and nodding his head.

"Hai. I'll be fine – just give me a few minutes." Youji couldn't help but smile at the cover up the brunet was desperately trying to hold over the sickness he was feeling. A cold wind began to blow around them, Youji's vision beginning to bleak. Kiyomi struggled to keep the art supplies in tack, the wind threatening to scatter the papers with her; Ken wrapped his arms around, trying to keep guard against the suddenly chilling wind.

_He is mine!_

Youji heard her voice, seeing her hand reach out in place of his towards Ken's heart; he pulled his hand back into his pocket, his smiling disappearing to a blank expression. Her hand disappeared, the wind dying down around them. Ken looked up at the blond with a confused expression, gazing into now cold, green eyes.

"I will see you tomorrow, Hidaka-san." Youji helped his secretary gather his supplies and sketches and left the park. Ken blinked after the pair, bewildered at the sudden change in the older man's attitude towards him. He let out a sigh, letting his gaze fall to the ground.

_I wonder if he really wants me back…_

Ken sighed again, closing his eyes for a brief moment; he heard something blow against his ankle, opening his eyes to stare at a piece of paper. Curious, Ken picked it up, seeing it was a photo; a boy maybe about 16 or 17 years of age was lying on a bed on his stomach, chin resting on his hand. The boy had light brown hair, and deep blue eyes, a wide smile across his face.

Ken examined the photo, looking around the park to see if anyone would come running to claim. People simply passed by, no one calling out for a lost photo. Ken looked at the back, seeing writing on the back. He couldn't read what it said – it wasn't written in Japanese.

_Eto… now what? Ah, sou ka! Amy can read English; I'll ask her to translate for me!_

With that settled, Ken stood up to his feet, pocketing the photo carefully to later decipher and return to its original owner. He walked out of the park, ready to return back to home in Tokyo.

* * *

Well – as you can see, Ken and Youji's relationship is beginning to progress… at turtle/snail/slug speed! . And that woman who keeps appearing will be explained… some time in the story… _sweatdrop_

So anyways – thank you for reading; sorry to those who have been waiting a long time and have probably forgotten all about this fic… uh, thanks for reading anyways…

Till Next time – they begin to travel around the world! (Well, like – three places XD )

Emotional-Hikari


	6. Chapter 6: Troubled Phone Call

MHUHAHAHAHAHA! Feel the love as I finally present to you the next chapter of "Imprisoned Love"! HA!

(cough) Anyways – sorry it's taken so, so, so long to update _some_thing… again --" I need to stop making a habit of this…

SO! No more waiting!

Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai (the good stuff ;P ), and one foul word (the bad stuff XO )

Pairings: Shrugs – will figured it out eventually (well, already have, but yeah… XP )

Rating: T

* * *

"Anou…" Ken timidly came up to Crawford, the older man giving him a slight glare as he turned his attention to the brunet. The raven-head hadn't been in a very good mood since he arrived this morning, and Ken had a feeling he knew why. 

"I-I believe t-this is yours…" He held out the photo in front of Crawford, the older man looking a little surprised, then relieved as he took the photo. A small smile appeared on Crawford's face, as he gazed at the photo.

"Thank you. I thought I had misplaced it." Ken only scratched the back of his neck, a nervous smile on his face.

"It's okay – I just thought, well…Um…" Ken paused in his sentence, making the older man look at him. The brunet felt his throat constrict – he was awfully curious by nature, and the question of who that boy was in the photo, and what relation he had to Crawford just about bothered ever curious nerve in his body.

"Anou – I don't want to be a bother, but… eto…" Crawford only smiled, looking back at the photo.

"His name is Daniel. He's – well – my boyfriend." Ken stared in shock at the older man's reply. He stood silent for five minutes before mentally slapping himself in the head; he forced a smile to his face.

"Sou – desu ka?" Ken forced out, trying desperately not to sound like he was ill. Crawford only snickered a little, seeing the obvious tension, before a slight frown appeared on his face.

"You don't have to hold your disgust – we… we're both use to it." Ken blinked at the sudden serious tone the older man was using. Crawford pocketed the photo safely in his coat, his facial expression blank; before Ken could make a comment, Kiyomi stepped out of the office, confirming that Kudou was ready to start. The older man pushed his glasses up slightly, walking away from Ken and headed into the studio with the other two.

/ _You don't have to hold your disgust…_ /

_What did he…_

/ _we…we're both use to it…_ /

_What did he mean by that?_

Ken lingered in his thoughts little longer, before shaking his thoughts cleared and followed the others inside the studio. Kiyomi closed the door behind them, leaving the four with just the artist and the canvases. Youji sat on a stool in front of them, chin in his hand; his face was passive, but one could see that he was in deep thought. Finally, he sat up straight, sliding off the stool in an almost cat-like manner, a wide smirk on his face.

"Alright – let's begin, shall we? We have a lot to cover to make up for the delay."

* * *

Ken laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The session had gone on longer then expected, since Kudou had wanted to make up the delay with at least three paintings. The brunet was exhausted and sore from holding three different positions for a long time; though this time the session wasn't as bad as the previous sessions. Least he didn't run out and throw up like the first time. 

/ _You don't have to hold your disgust…_ /

_Naze ka…_

/ _We… we're both use to it…_ /

_Why can't I get that out of my head…_

Since Ken returned the photo of Daniel to Crawford, and what the older man had said, he couldn't help but think of the words. What did the older man mean when he mentioned he was use to the disgust – disgust of what? Being a couple? A 16 year old boy having a boyfriend that was 10 years older?

"Mou!" Ken rolled over on his side, trying to ponder further into the words; the questions only scratched the surface of the meaning behind those words.

/ _You don't have to hold your disgust…_ /

"… Sou desu…" Ken said out loud to himself; he knew the real meaning, even if he hadn't realized it at the time.

/ _We… we're use to it…_ /

The sky turned from orange, to purple and finally to black as the sun disappeared behind the buildings and past the horizon. Ken laid on his side for several minutes more before getting up to grab a quick bite of dinner and wash up and changed before officially going to bed.

_I'm not against others being a couple with someone of their same sex…_

A brief imaged flashed in his mind – a small boy was sitting in the corner, staring at the wall in front of him.

_I just don't want to see it displayed in front of me…_

He didn't know what he did wrong this time, but the teacher sent him to the corner as a disciplinary lesson. He started grinding his teeth out of frustration.

_But… for others to be disgusted at just knowing someone is homosexual…_

Tears began to stream down the boy's face, furious thoughts running through his head as he heard whispers from his classmates at the behavior that had him sent to the corner in the first place.

'Why he is so bad now? He use to be so good.'

'Don't you know – they say his dad left him and his mom.'

'Eh? Hontou desu ka? Why did he leave?'

'Don't know, but they say he left them for another guy.'

'Hontou ka?'

_Urusai! Chigau! Urusai na!_

Ken opened the top cupboard of his small kitchen, pulling out a half-full box of rice. He placed it on the counter as he reached to grab other small ingredients from the same cupboard.

'You know what he was – he was a fool!'

_Chigau…_

'Sou desu ne.'

'Baka!'

_Chigau! Baka janai! O-too-san no… baka janai!_

Having gathered the ingredients he needed, Ken checked the cupboard once more to see if he wanted anything extra. Finding nothing else to put on his dinner, he slowly closed the cupboard door.

* * *

_Focus… stay focus…_

Ken thought to himself, trying hard to ignore the grinning redhead behind him, holding him around the waist. Schuldig looked all too eagerly happy to hold Ken – even if it was just for the painting.

_Stay focus… ignore the bastard… focus…_

The brunet tried to keep his nausea down, twitching occasionally at the ever growing discomfort as the blond quickly did his rough sketch. He swore he felt Schuldig tighten his hold.

_Focus… k'so!_

"Alright, I'm done now." No sooner had Youji said that did Ken literately jump from the older man's arms, his whole shivering from the contact. Schuldig pouted, before letting out a small snicker; he got up to his feet and walked over to Ken, giving him a light poke in the cheek. The brunet yelped, jumping a foot in the air. Schuldig laughed.

"You're just too much fun!" Ken clenched his fist; he was very tempted to pound his fist into the model's face and wipe off that smirk – course, he would most likely leave a mark if he did that, and Ken doubted that's what this job needed.

"Affair, act one is in progress. Affair, act two – Fujimiya-san, Mr. Crawford?" The two men stood up, following the blond to another part of the studio; Ken tagged along after them, not wanting to be stuck alone with Schuldig.

While Youji was instructing Ran and Crawford on their expressions, positions and their intentions, Kiyomi opened the door to the studio, her voice – as soft as it may seem at times – echoed though the large room.

"Sumimasen – but there's a phone call for Mr. Crawford." Youji looked to her wearily. He held out a hand before Crawford could say anything, silencing the older man.

"Can it wait? Right now, Mr. Crawford is very busy."

"They say it's urgent." Crawford blinked in confusion, Youji turning to face him. The two stared in a silent conversation before the blond artist sighed, nodding his head.

"Very well… but make it quick!" Crawford gave a slight bow in show of appreciation, getting up to his feet to follow Kiyomi to the phone. He picked it up from the desk, the voice on the other end speaking.

"Brad?"

"Yes – what is it, Claire? I'm in the middle of a session." He heard a sad sigh on the other end, and it began to worry him. Claire, sister and agent the same, never interrupted any of his sessions – whether it was modeling, or other, she would never interrupt. And that worried him – what was so urgent this time that she would break that habit.

"I know... I'm sorry…"

"What happened? What's going on?" He began to panic a little, every second that his sister was silent made his heart beat increase.

"Brad… brother… I'm so sorry…"

"What happened...?" He asked one more time; Claire was silent for what seemed like an eternity, before she finally explained what happened. Amber-brown eyes widened, the phone slipping out of his hand and fell with a bang against the desk. Kiyomi looked up from her computer screen, her facial expression never changing; she saw the phone hanging by it's cord, picking it up and answering herself, but the other person had already hung up – there was no more need to continue the conversation. Shrugging, she placed it back on the receiver, continuing on with her typing.

"You better get back to the studio – Kudou-san is not a very patient person." Crawford stood still, her words just barely reaching past the shock in his ears. He opened and closed his hands severally times, finally clenching them shut.

"What does it matter…"

"Hmm?" Kiyomi only side glance at the man, staring back at her screen as she answered him.

"For one thing – your job matters; and if you have any sense of value for your career, I suggest you get back in there!"

"F--K IT!" Kiyomi glanced at him in mild surprise, watching the man storm out of the office, slamming the door hard enough to shake the entire room. She stared at the closed door for several minutes before gazing at the phone; whoever it was that had called, something ticked him off. She sat for severally minutes more staring at the phone before sighing and getting up to go and inform Kudou that Crawford had left, and that it would seem to be a while before he decides to come back.

* * *

Yeouch! -.Emotional-Hikari 


	7. Chapter 7: Walk Forward

HEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOO!! (echoes of crickets) Yeah… (sweat drop)

Hi – sorry I've like disappeared in forever and haven't updated anything. I've fallen out of Weiss a little, so I haven't been actively been writing. BUT!! I **_do_** want to _at least_ finish the stories/arcs I have written now, so… I will try my best!

Warnings: Shounen-ai/yaoi hints

Pairings: At the moment, leaning towards Youji+Ken, others mention later

Rating: T (PG-13)

\ _Italics_ // flashbacks

_Italics _ thoughts

* * *

Ken stared up at the large building in awe, still finding it hard to believe that this was a hotel. He crammed his neck trying to see to the top of the building, where most likely the more exclusive rooms were. He began cursing himself silently in his head for coming here in the first place. 

_Well… no turning back now… _

Taking in a deep breath, he marched up the stairs and though the glass doors, once inside, finding his way to the reception desk. He presented the paper Kudou had given to him to the lady at the desk, the woman looking through the contents, before picking up the phone and dialed a number. Ken could hear the phone on the other side ringing softly as she waited for the person to pick up. She hung up after a good 10 minutes.

"Sumimasen – he doesn't seem to be answering." She signaled to a man standing nearby, giving him specific instructions and where to take Ken to. The man nodded, indicating for the brunet to follow him to the elevators. Ken simply followed in silence, tightly grasping the strap of his bag.

The ride in the elevator was the most tenseful moment Ken ever felt in his entire life; he remembered Kudou's request to him, and he didn't want to go through with this, but for some reason…

\ "_Eh? You want me to do what?" Ken blinked at the artist sitting in front of him. Youji looked up at him with a passive face, holding out a piece of paper in front of him._

"_I sense something is a bit off with Mr. Crawford. I want you, Hidaka-san, to talk to him."_

"_Datte!!" The brunet stopped as the blond stood up, coming close to his face. Ken stepped back a little from the older man, a slight blush forming across his face at the closeness between them._

"_Onegai…"_

"_Eh?"_

"_I have a feeling that you will be able to talk to him just fine." Ken looked away, his blush deepening; he remained silent for several minutes before snatching the paper from Youji's hand._

"_Wakateru! Che!" The blond gave him a small smile at the pout on Ken's face._

"_Arigatou ne…" //  
_

Ken stared into space as he recalled the small on Youji's face; he had never seen a smile like that before on the artist's face. It had caught him off guard that he didn't even give a second thought to the request afterwards.

_That smile… I wonder if I'll ever see it again?_

"Hai! Douzo. Watch your step please." The elevator came to a stop, Ken stepping out and waiting for the man to lead him down to Crawford's room. He walked down the eerily quiet hallway, till the man stopped at the door third to the end. He gave a light knock on Crawford's door, saying that there was someone who wanted to see him. There was no response.

"Anou – Arigatou! I think I'll be fine."

"Hai, kashikomari-mashita!" The man gave a slight bow before leaving Ken alone in front of the door. The brunet watched him go, before turning to the closed door and let out a huge sigh. Ken lifted a hand to the door, taking in a deep breath as he moved it to knock, pausing in mid air.

_Come on, Ken – you can do this! Just – knock on the door!_

He closed his eyes as he finally knocked on the wooden surface, his voice coming out a little bit strained and stuttering.

"A-anou! B-boku wa Hi-Hidaka, Ken desu! I-I have a mes-message from Kudou-san!" Ken stood at the door, only greeted by silence. He stood there for several minutes, before deciding to try knocking again; he stopped, hearing faint noises from inside. The brunet took a step back, swallowing his breath as he heard the sounds of locks being undone from the other side.

The door was opened just enough to see half of Crawford's face, an amber-brown eye staring blankly at the younger man standing outside the door. Ken froze on the spot, hands clinging to strap of his bag.

"If he wants to fire me from the job, that's fine with me."

"Ah?" Ken blinked, a puzzling expression replacing the slight fear on his face. Crawford stepped away from the door, gently pulling it open as he let his hand slide off the handle. The brunet watched him as he retreated back into the room, going over to sit down on the bed. Ken leaned forward to look inside, wondering if he should enter or just stand outside the door. Swallowing his breath, he stepped inside the room, quietly closing the door behind him; the older man sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the windows into the bright sky.

"H-he doesn't want to fire you… He just asked me to – to talk to you." Ken managed to get out, a slight blush appearing on his face. It was embarrassing to admit that that was all the blond artist had asked him to do. The older man only replied with a hum, not looking away from the window. Ken sighed, standing in the middle of the room, his gaze wandering around. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Ken gathered his thoughts together, turning his eyes to Crawford's back.

"Anou – if you don't mind me asking… wha-what happened that time? After you got that phone call?" Ken saw Crawford visible tense, taking a step back incase he had hit a wrong nerve or something. The older man's shoulders suddenly relaxed, staring down at his hands resting on his lap.

"You – you remember that photo you returned to me?"

"Eh? You mean – the one of your boy-" Ken stopped, finding it hard to finish the word.

"My boyfriend, Daniel, yes."

"Did the call involve – involve him?"

"In a way – yes… It's was my sister, Claire."

\ _"Brad?"_

"_Yes – what is it, Claire? I'm in the middle of a session." He heard a sad sigh on the other end, and it began to worry him. Claire, sister and agent the same, never interrupted any of his sessions – whether it was modeling, or other, she would never interrupt. And that worried him – what was so urgent this time that she would break that habit._

"_I know… I'm sorry…"_

"_What happened? What's going on?" He began to panic every second that his sister was silent._

"_Brad – brother… I'm so sorry…"_

"_What happened…?" He asked one more time; Claire was silent for what seemed like an eternity, before she finally told him what was bothering her._

"_Brad… Daniel is dead…" Amber-brown eyes widened, the phone slipping out of his hand and fell with a bang against the desk. _//

Ken could only stare blankly as the older man finished his story; he shifted his weight on to one foot, rubbing the side of his arm. He wasn't sure what to say, or what to do. Crawford stood up from the bed, walking over to the window; he pulled the curtains back slightly, letting in just a crack of light from the afternoon sun.

"You know – I was abandoned by my family because of… certain preferences I had. Claire was the only one who stood by me."

"It must have been hard… I – guess…" Ken commented nervously, holding his arm as his eyes wandered around the room. He heard the older man sigh, as the curtains fell close again, covering the room in darkness once again. Crawford sat back down on the bed, gazing at the floor.

_This is ridiculous! How could Kudou-san really think I could talk to him? I don't even know what to say..._

"I met Daniel during one of my sessions in the States… he apparently was an orphan, trying to run away from the place he was living in…" Ken blinked, turning his attention back to the older man; Crawford continued on, placing a hand over his mouth as he spoke.

"Actually – he hated me in the beginning; he hated all models, because his mother had been one…" The tense, almost unbearably heavy atmosphere slowly began to vanish; Ken walked towards the end of the bed, carefully sitting himself down on the edge as the older man continued.

"His mother was very popular, but she made her own downfall in a scandalous affair. She ended up dying in the streets, and Daniel ended up in an orphanage." Crawford tilted his head down, leaning his elbows on his knees. Ken merely watched him, not sure if he should say anything to this surprisingly ongoing conversation. It made him wonder what was motivating Crawford to talk about something this personal to pretty much a complete stranger like himself. The older man started again, lifting his gaze up to the closed curtains.

"It took a while, but we fell in love – it sounds kind of clichéd, I know, but…" Crawford paused, going silent for several minutes; he put a hand to his face, and Ken could tell he was trying not to cry if he could help it. Ken glanced to the other side of the room, feeling something all too familiar to him – something he had long since stopped thinking of.

"My haha(1) - my mother – died when I was only 8…" The older man blinked, slowly turning his gaze towards the younger man sitting at the edge of the bed. Ken didn't look at him, staring down at the floor.

"She was ill, and there was nothing the doctors could do for her except prolong her death... she died – on the day of my birth…" Crawford's eyes widened a little; it was one thing for a relative to die during a holiday, but for one's own birthday – it really makes being a year older all the more depressing.

"…I couldn't stop crying for three days; I didn't want to celebrate my birthday, knowing it was the same day haha died… but, chichi(2) - my father – I'll never forget what he told me…" Ken stood up from the bed, walking over to the closed curtains, amber-brown eyes following him around the room. The brunet placed a hand on the thick fabric, opening it just a crack to stare out at the city down below, before he jerked the curtain open. Crawford winced at the light shining through, his eyes having adjusted to the darkness; he placed a hand over his eyes, squinting at Ken's figure standing by the window.

"Move forward… keep on walking and never stop; if you fall, stand up again and keep on walking. And while you walk, walk with a smile till the day you die… he said that if – if I didn't die with a smile, he – he would never be able to face my mother again…" Crawford could only stare at the younger man, his eyes finally adjusting the bright sunlight coming through the open curtain; Ken turned to face him, offering him a small smile, a hand on the glass of the window. He held his hand out towards the older man, Crawford blinking at him.

"Though sometimes – we need someone to help us back on our feet, if we want to walk forward; after all – no one has to stand alone all the time." Crawford stared blankly at him for a moment, before a small smile appeared on his face, reaching his hand out to gently grasp Ken's.

"… Thank you…"

* * *

(1) Haha - Mother (only when refering to _your_ own mother) 

(2) Chichi - Father (same as 'Haha' - when refering to your own father)

Yes – well… I know – probably _LOADS_ of OOC crap and what not… but hey! It's an AU after all. More to come soon, I shall hope!

Emotional-Hikari


End file.
